Threatened species profit from multi-million pound funding to assist their restoration

• Threatened Species Recovery Actions, a information for supporting the restoration of greater than 1,000 threatened species printed   

• Natural England Chair requires a redoubling of efforts with time operating out to halt the decline of nature    

The outcomes of a multi-million pound funding in nature have been revealed for the primary time as we speak (Wednesday 13 August), alongside the launch of a brand new information for supporting the restoration of greater than 1,000 species threatened with extinction.  

The £13 million Species Recovery Programme’s Capital Grants Scheme ran from August 2023 to March 2025, and noticed Natural England put money into focused conservation efforts that gave species akin to water vole, oystercatcher, girl’s slipper orchid, hazel dormouse and Atlantic salmon an opportunity to flourish.     

From the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall to Cumbria and Northumberland, 63 completely different tasks involving 78 companions have reworked landscapes and supported the restoration of 150  species, lots of which had been on the point of nationwide extinction, by way of analysis, captive breeding, habitat creation, and conservation translocations.     

Across the tasks, greater than 15,000 particular person animals and vegetation had been translocated to broaden species territories, in addition to captive breeding greater than 12,000 people, together with invertebrates, mammals and birds.     

The successes of the scheme included the primary wild-hatched red-billed chough chick in Kent for over 200 years, the profitable reintroduction of black grouse to the North Yorkshire Moors, and the return of the massive marsh grasshopper to the Norfolk Broads after an 85-year absence.      

To additional assist nature conservation a Threatened Species Recovery Actions information can be being printed as we speak to assist the restoration of over a thousand of England’s most threatened species. From the small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly, corncrake and natterjack toad to smaller organisms like miniscule lichens, the information units out for the primary time what motion conservationists must take to recuperate wildlife at a person species degree. This might embrace the creation of habitats with late flowering vegetation to assist the Shrill Carder bee or the creation of fish-rich reedbeds to assist bittern. 

To mark the success of the funding programme and to spotlight the necessity to drive ahead species restoration efforts there will likely be a celebration occasion as we speak held at Brandon Marsh with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, the place the as soon as uncommon Eurasian bittern is making a restoration. Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper will give a keynote speech the place he’ll name for extra concerted motion to drive species restoration with time operating out to reverse nature’s decline.     

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England, is anticipated to say:

“A rising variety of Nature restoration tasks, each giant and small, are making an enormous distinction up and down the nation. The success of this programme is an instance of how a lot we are able to do after we take a joined up, collaborative method to restoring the pure world.     

“We know we are able to flip spherical species decline and enhance ecosystems with the best focused actions, the drive and the funding.     

“But time is operating out quick – turning spherical nature’s decline must be a collective endeavour, so this isn’t simply the protect of devoted specialists. Nature restoration work wants extra tasks, extra volunteers and extra money to movement from all sources, notably the personal sector. It may also must go hand in hand with improved environmental high quality, together with by way of decreased air pollution. 

“The publication of the government’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan in the autumn will be a key moment. We will need to see increased ambition on species recovery, particularly looking at what can be done on some of our lost species. In the coming years, habitat management and creation alongside species reintroductions could be a real game changer for the health of ecosystems and help us achieve the country’s legally binding targets.” 

The Species Recovery Programme has additionally seen the creation of conservation infrastructure which is able to profit wildlife into the longer term. Projects have created or enhanced over 2,400ha of wildlife-rich habitat for species to thrive, together with 143 leaky dams to assist species like Atlantic salmon, white-clawed crayfish and freshwater pearl mussel whereas additionally lowering flood danger and bettering water high quality. 633 new protected breeding areas have been created for otter, dormice, bats, willow tits and different birds     

Beyond direct species advantages, the scheme has helped carry 1000’s of individuals nearer to nature. Over 80,000 members of the general public participated in 465 academic occasions and actions, and volunteers contributed practically 100,000 hours of conservation work value over £1 million. The scheme has additionally provided a lift for the financial system by supporting the equal of 60 full time jobs in conservation.     

Natural England is planning to increase the Species Recovery Programme supply window for as much as 4 years, operating concurrently between 26/27 – 29/30 to take ahead the actions detailed within the Threatened Species Recovery Action information.   

Threatened Species Recovery Actions information may be discovered on our Access to Evidence page.

It displays the experience of 40 accomplice organisations which contributed to it and can assist to pave the best way to delivering the legally-binding goal to scale back the chance of species’ extinction by 2042.   

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

·       Natural England funding for this Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme introduced a match worth of over £6.5 million from accomplice organisations and volunteer worth.     

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QUOTES

Gina Rowe, Landscape Recovery Development Manager at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, stated: 

“Warwickshire Wildlife Trust had been delighted to have secured a grant for our formidable partnership mission ‘Reviving Our Wetlands’ from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme, and to host the celebration occasion at Brandon Marsh Site of Special Scientific Interest, one in every of our key mission websites.  

“The mission has introduced an incredible increase for 4 nationally threatened species in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull and we’ll proceed the work and monitoring to make sure there’s a legacy, and actual positive aspects for the 4 species concerned and the habitats they want.    

“Water Vole now have entry to an extra 13.7 km of canal banks; Willow tit has 2 ha of latest wetland and woodland and 100 nesting logs; Bittern has 1.5 ha of deep swimming pools and reedbeds; White-clawed crayfish could have 2 refuge swimming pools, and we sit up for these species dwelling and breeding in these newly created habitats. Over 75 volunteers have been concerned. 

“Many thanks to all our partners, landowners, volunteers and staff involved, including Brandon Marsh Conservation Volunteer team, Canal & River Trust, Coventry City Council, University of Warwick, and Tame Valley Wetlands Volunteer Force, for making this such a successful project.” 

Steve, a volunteer with the ‘White Cliffs and White Chalk’ National Trust mission stated:     

“It’s been an actual delight to satisfy and profit from the information of the professionals concerned with the mission, who’ve been so beneficiant in sharing their information.      

“This and a feeling of real engagement with an amazing natural environment has been a huge psychological boost for me, especially after the isolation of COVID and only recently moving to the area.”     

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SUMMARY OF SELECTED PROJECTS

Hawkshead bee in Hastings

The species spotlight of the mission was the invention of Andrena fulvago (Hawksbeard Bee) by ecologist Andy Phillips. This uncommon species had not been recorded in Hastings for over 100 years. The wildflower areas created by Groundwork South will assist assist this uncommon bee species, together with many others.      

Chough in Kent

The profitable reintroduction of Chough in Kent for the primary time in over 200 years following an intensive captive breeding programme and supervised launch and monitoring. The success of this mission, carried out by Wildwood Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust, and Paradise Park was demonstrated by first wild hatched chick in 2024, birds nested once more in 2025.     

Black grouse on the North York Moors

The profitable translocation and reintroduction of breeding Black Grouse on the North Yorks Moors noticed new nests hatched and 15 birds fitted with radio transmitted to observe actions and well being. This mission may also launch additional people this 12 months as a part of the grant extension.      

Adders in Berkshire

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust put in two adder tunnels beneath the Old Thornford street in Berkshire which bisected Greenham and Crookham commons. The tunnel was accomplished in March 2024 and extra habitat enhancements had been made to assist direct adders in direction of the tunnel entrances as a substitute of the street. In May 2025 path cameras put in on the tunnel entrance caught proof of an adder utilizing one of many tunnels.     

Horseshoe bats in Sussex

Vincent Wildlife Trust has labored on three disused buildings to make them very best for bat breeding. Their mission Horseshoes Heading East focussed on connecting up appropriate breeding and hibernation locations for higher horseshoe bat throughout Sussex. Greater horseshoe bats at one of many websites have efficiently bred, with mums and pups within the incubator and a brand new attic area.      

Waders in Essex

The RSPB and Essex Wildlife Trust labored collectively throughout moist grassland, grazing marsh, reedbeds and saline lagoons within the Blackwater and Colne Estuary to put in predator fences and water management options to make the location even higher for breeding waders. The works have already proved profitable with a lapwing nest noticed this spring and 6 different lapwing had been seen displaying, in addition to a pair of redshank.     

Lady’s slipper orchid in Yorkshire

Natural England has labored with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Plantlife for thirty years amassing 1000’s of seeds, conducting germination trials and rising on seedlings to try to carry again our most spectacular and rarest orchid, the girl’s slipper. Now, with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust additionally a part of the partnership, the primary recognized instance of this uncommon and exquisite plant naturally propagating within the wild has been recorded.     

Avocet in Worcester

Upgraded islands throughout the lakes on the reserve at Upton Warren, which had eroded over time, have obtained optimistic responses from the visiting birds, with 57 Avocet recorded on the twenty eighth March ’25. This is a incredible end result given the brief timeframe over which this mission has been delivered by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.     

Water voles in Northamptonshire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire

Four SRPCGS tasks have created habitats for water voles in Northamptonshire, Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire together with creating new bankside habitat, wetlands and ponds, and planting hedges to supply cowl and meals vegetation.  Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, aided by contractors and volunteers, put in twenty water vole ‘motels’ alongside the banks of the canal in Coventry to supply protected resting and feeding locations. In addition, greater than 420 water voles had been captive reared and launched to assist improve inhabitants numbers and distribution.      

Atlantic salmon and pearl mussels in Cumbria

West Cumbria Rivers Trust, working with the Freshwater Biological Association delivered river habitat enhancements together with eradicating boundaries to the passage of Atlantic salmon. This additionally benefitted pearl mussels, as their larvae spend round 9 months of their lifecycle on the gills of both salmon or trout, earlier than dropping off into gravels to proceed their development. 2475 juvenile freshwater pearl mussels had been launched underneath licence into streams in Cumbria to bolster the populations.